Fallout New Vegas Review

Fallout Vegas Review
By Rita S

 

'Welcome to Vegas, New Vegas' The year is 2281, this is the aftermath of a nuclear war... So we now finally have Fallout New Vegas to enjoy, this is the most wanted game of 2010 and gosh, it has been worth the wait! Bethesda Softworks and Obsidian Entertainment have given us a new world to explore since their last game, Fallout 3. In Fallout 3 you were immersed into a character of your own choice right from birth down to your final, most last choice in life. The world in Fallout 3 was huge and completely detailed with much to do other than the main storyline; almost everyone that played Fallout 3 had loved the game so much and it was easy to see why...

Now it’s time for Fallout: New Vegas and please note this game is not linked to Fallout 3 in any way or any of the other Fallout games so therefore you can still play this game even if you are new to Fallout. For some, the game may start a bit slow which seems to be a trend in many games lately but for those who are new to the game and its controls it eases you into the game slowly which is better rather than just being dropped into the deep end.

Overview of a part of the storyline: Your character is a courier with a parcel which gets stolen by an unknown gang. You are then shot in the head and left to die in a shallow grave in Mojave. Intervention starts with a cute cowboy-like robot named Victor finds you barely clinging to life and therefore takes you to a doctor. Gamers will survive this brush with death and will have amnesia, a thirst for revenge and an ultimatum to find out why and who accomplished this malicious attack.

There are so many main storylines and missions to complete with this game and to be honest there is more than one main storyline, and for some gamers this may all seem a little confusing but for others this should be no problem as long as you pay attention to dialogue and cut scenes. The storyline is very much compelling; you are a courier as stated and have lost the package that you was to deliver. By the blow to the head you have no recollection of the past so; why were you attacked? What was in the parcel that was so important?

As stated, there are many more main storylines so you have yet to see what the war is all about from the headline statement of the New Vegas trailer ‘War... War never dies’ you will find out about the importance of the casinos and the Hoover Dam. Just as a rule of thumb or so to speak there are a few factions that run New Vegas or at least all do in some way or another... The largest group you will encounter is the NCR – New California Republic (They do what they can to keep the peace but do so by force in whatever means are necessary) and then there is the Caesar’s Legion (they like to dictate and are slavers) these are the two that are most focused on but there are other factions also seen in the game that are much smaller and lesser heard of. You will have the choice to become a member of a faction or you can choose to go against them all. Just remember, there is no right or wrong with what you choose.

If you think there has been a graphic upgrade since Fallout 3 then think again, the same engine has been used for Vegas but having said that, it seems much more refined now than ever. Gameplay wise is very much the same as Fallout 3 however there is now the Companion Wheel which makes it much easier for your character to communicate with followers as well as being able to heal them when in combat, this is a nice feature to be able to use in the game and it helps sometimes when companions lag behind you... if only they would listen better.

There is a slight American Wild West theme in the Mojave Wasteland but rather than in Fallout 3 and its dull colour scheme we can now be exposed to a bit more colour (Yippeeeee!!) You will encounter bottles upon bottles of Sarsaparilla in the game in which will have you dashing to your fridge for a nice icy cold beverage. Workbenches are a new feature where you can make special ammo, tonics and just recycle junk to make various useful things, although it may seem pointless its rather fun to search for materials to be able to make something practical. Other than that you will meet an array of people and casino mini-games to play and not to mention robots that have the personalities of cowboys.

Vegas now has the choice of Hardcore mode, it can be switched on or off at any time. So what is this mode??? Well, hardcore is much more lifelike, there are such things to consider like dehydration and hunger as well as ammo having weight. So to keep well and alive you obviously have to eat and drink to survive and carry ammo around sparingly. It’s really a feature to look forward to but it’s only recommended for the experienced so if you don’t want to go the extra mile when playing the game simply don’t turn the mode on.

Summary: Is this game worth is? YES! OH GOSH YES! x1000000000000. But there might be some little niggles that might annoy SOME gamers such as the slow starting of the game, the same graphics or maybe they won’t like the characters as much as Fallout 3. Having said that, the storyline of Vegas compared to Fallout 3 has a much bigger and deeper meaning, this game will teach us the effects of a war and how it can harm so many beings even in a small town. If you enjoyed Fallout 3 then there is no doubt that you will love this game. There are so many hidden things to look for and if you rush through the main story alone you will get about 20 hours out of the game, do side missions and look for other hidden treasures and expect to play for another 150 hours. This game will keep you entertained for so very long and that is hard to find with any game. Obsidian and Bethesda have created a true gem here.  

I am using the Xbox360 version of the game for this review and there is some glitching going on currently with some mutant insects that are either getting stuck or floating in midair, yet they don’t have wings... BUT never fear!!! There will be a patch soon enough to fix issues.

Overall Rating: 9.5 / 10